Switzerland’s panoramic trains mostly come with a compulsory reservation and a fee on top of your pass. This one does not. The Lucerne–Interlaken Express runs hourly over the Brünig Pass, costs nothing extra with a Swiss Travel Pass, needs no booking, and is the equal of routes that charge CHF 40 for the privilege. It is the best free scenic train in the country, and the one most travellers ride without realising what they are on.
Planning essentials
Lucerne–Interlaken Express at a glance
| Route | Lucerne ↔ Interlaken Ost over the Brünig Pass |
| Journey time | About 2 hours |
| Frequency | Roughly hourly, all day, year-round |
| Swiss Travel Pass | Fully covered — no supplement |
| Reservation | Not required. Optional seat booking on some departures |
| Highest point | Brünig Pass, 1,008 m |
| Unusual feature | Rack-assisted sections — the train grips a toothed rail on the steepest gradients |
| Best seats | The right-hand side, in both directions |
On seat side, the local tourist board is unambiguous: the right-hand side has the better view whether you are travelling from Lucerne or from Interlaken. That is unusual — on most routes the good side flips with direction. Here it does not, so board early and take a right-hand window.
What you pass, in order
First 30 minutes
Lucerne to Sarnen
Out along the Alpnachersee arm of Lake Lucerne, with Pilatus filling the window on the right. Alpnachstad is where the world’s steepest cogwheel railway starts its climb up Pilatus — if you have a spare half-day anywhere in this trip, this is where to spend it.
Middle hour
Giswil, Lungern and the climb to Brünig
The train slows, the rack engages, and it hauls itself up past Lungernsee — a small, intensely turquoise lake that appears below the track and is gone in ninety seconds. This is the steepest and slowest stretch, and the most photographed.
Final 40 minutes
Meiringen, Brienz and Lake Brienz
Meiringen sits below the Reichenbach Falls, where Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes — there is a funicular to the ledge and a small museum in the village. Then Brienz, the wood-carving town, and the run along the turquoise length of Lake Brienz into Interlaken Ost.
Where to get off — and why you should
Because there is no reservation and trains run hourly, breaking this journey costs you nothing but time. That makes it the single most stop-friendly scenic route in Switzerland.
Brienz
The steam-hauled Rothorn railway climbs from the station to 2,244 m on original 19th-century locomotives — the last regular steam rack railway in Switzerland. Downhill from the platform, the Ballenberg open-air museum collects historic buildings from every Swiss canton.
Allow half a day. Lake boats from here to Interlaken are included with your pass.
Meiringen
The Aare Gorge is a twenty-minute walk from the station: a kilometre of walkway bolted to the wall of a limestone slot canyon carved by meltwater. Genuinely dramatic and rarely crowded.
Two hours is enough, which makes it the easiest stop to slot into a travel day.
Reservations, bistro and practicalities
- You do not need to book. Seat reservations exist on some departures but are unnecessary outside peak August weekends. Turn up, board, sit down.
- There is a bistro on most services — table meals can be pre-ordered, but the counter is fine for coffee and a snack.
- Luggage: racks only, no van. Manageable for two hours, but this route runs to and from two of the busiest hotel towns in the country, so consider sending bags ahead on a change day.
- Winter runs too. The Brünig line is cleared and operates year-round; snow on the Lungern climb is worth seeing.
If you are moving hotels between Lucerne and Interlaken, a luggage transfer lets you stop at Brienz or Meiringen on the way rather than going straight through with cases.
When to route differently
This is a transfer that happens to be beautiful, not an excursion. The distinction changes how you should use it.
- Riding it out and back wastes the day. You spend the hours and finish where you started. If it is not moving you between two places you were going anyway, a route with a destination at the end is the better use of the time.
- In high summer the good seats go early. Turning up expecting a window on a peak-season departure is optimistic. If the view is the reason you chose this over a faster connection, plan for it.
How this fits the rest of your trip
This is the first section of the GoldenPass line — carry on from Interlaken through Zweisimmen to Montreux and you have crossed the country west to east on one pass. It is also a leg of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, and it connects at Lucerne with the Gotthard Panorama Express heading south toward Ticino.
Interlaken is worth more than a connection — our 3-day Interlaken itinerary covers Thun, Brienz and the Schilthorn, and Grindelwald First is an easy day from there. Since so much of this region is lakes, check how boats and buses work with your pass first: the Lake Brienz and Lake Thun ferries are included, which turns a train journey into a much better loop.
Lucerne–Interlaken Express questions
Do I need a reservation on the Lucerne–Interlaken Express?
No. Reservations are optional on some departures and unnecessary on most, even in summer. Trains run roughly hourly, so you can simply turn up at the station and board the next one.
Is the Lucerne–Interlaken Express covered by the Swiss Travel Pass?
Yes, completely, with no supplement of any kind. It is one of the few genuinely scenic panoramic routes in Switzerland that costs nothing extra on top of the pass.
Which side of the train has the best views?
The right-hand side, in both directions — this is the local tourist board’s own recommendation and unusual for a Swiss route, since the better side normally flips depending on which way you travel.
How long does the journey take?
About two hours between Lucerne and Interlaken Ost, including the climb over the Brünig Pass at 1,008 m. Trains run at roughly hourly intervals throughout the day, all year.
Is it worth stopping along the way?
Yes, more so than on any other Swiss scenic route, because hourly trains and no reservation mean a stop costs nothing. Brienz for the steam railway and Ballenberg, or Meiringen for the Aare Gorge, are the two strongest options.
Is this the same as the GoldenPass?
It is the first section of it. The GoldenPass line runs Lucerne–Interlaken–Zweisimmen–Montreux, and this train covers the Lucerne to Interlaken leg. The narrow-gauge trains through Gstaad to Montreux are a separate part of the same route.
Travel this route free with a Swiss Travel Pass
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